Larry Fedora and his Tar Heels should have plenty to celebrate in 2013

Coach Larry Fedora ruffled some feathers recently by ordering rings for his North Carolina football team commemorating a championship recognized by no one other than itself.

The Tar Heels did win eight games and tied Miami and Georgia Tech for the Coastal Division title last season. But because of NCAA sanctions, the jewelry was nothing more than a token of appreciation for the effort and dedication displayed by the players under difficult circumstances.

Those sanctions have now been lifted and UNC is once again eligible to pursue goals that actually count.

Including the first legitimate football championship of any kind since 1980.

Although Clemson and Florida State are still far and away the class of the ACC, the Tar Heels head into the 2013 season – which unofficially begins with the league’s media event this weekend – as the team to beat in the Coastal Division.

Between the talent still on hand and the experience gained from a full year in Fedora’s system, UNC has both the firepower and motivation to get to Charlotte for the ACC Championship Game on Dec. 7 – even with the loss of dynamic running back Giovani Bernard, All-America guard Jonathan Cooper and defensive tackle Sylvester Williams to the first two rounds of the NFL draft.

How much talent remains on the roster?

Consider that eight players have been mentioned on preseason watch lists for individual national awards. That’s the second most of any ACC team behind Florida State.

Renner

The catalyst among that group is quarterback Bryn Renner.

A third-year starter who completed 65 percent of his passes in 2012 while setting the school record for touchdown passes in a season for the second straight year, Renner is poised to become the focal point of Fedora’s spread offense.

His strong arm and high football IQ will be complemented by a diverse array of weapons, including a receiving corps led by emerging stars Quinshad Davis – a sophomore who has a legitimate shot at catching 100 balls this season – and tight end Eric Ebron.

And while the running game can’t help but suffer a setback without Bernard, the dropoff won’t be as dramatic as many expect with the return of veterans A.J. Blue and Romar Morris, along with the addition of freshmen Khris Francis and T.J. Logan.

As long as Renner is able to stay out of wrecking ball Jadeveon Clowney’s crosshairs in the opener at South Carolina and a rebuilt offensive line that still features two All-ACC caliber performers in James Hurst and Russell Bodine holds up over the course of a long season, the Tar Heels should once again light up the scoreboard and stat sheets with video game-like numbers.

Whether that’s good enough to win a championship will depend on a questionable defense that ranked next-to-last in the league against the pass and allowed an average of 32.9 points per game against ACC competition last season.

It stands to reason that the Tar Heels will be better in 2013, if for no other reason than an increased familiarity with their attacking 4-2-5 scheme. More experience means fewer missed assignments. Fewer missed assignments mean fewer big plays allowed.

UNC’s controversial 2012 “Coastal Division championship” ring

Fedora and his staff have also deepened the talent pool by concentrating heavily on the defensive line and secondary in their first two recruiting classes to bolster units anchored by end Kareem Martin and safety Tre Boston.

Even if the defensive improvement is only minimal, the impact will be significant, because as Clemson has proven over the past couple of years, you don’t have to be the reincarnation of the 1985 Chicago Bears to win championships.

Especially in a division primed for a changing of the guard.

No one other than Virginia Tech or Georgia Tech has represented the Coastal in the ACC Championship Game since the league instituted its current divisional format in 2005. But with the Hokies seemingly on the decline and opponents starting to figure out the Yellow Jackets’ gimmicky option offense, the door is ajar for someone else to finally barge through.

That team is likely to be the winner of UNC’s nationally televised weeknight showdown with fellow up-and-comer Miami on Oct. 17.

Beating the Hurricanes in a game billed by the PR folks in Chapel Hill as “Zero Dark Thursday” won’t guarantee the Tar Heels the Coastal Division title, but it will put them well within reach of the elusive brass ring.

Or in this case, a piece of championship jewelry that actually means something.

I’m sure GT fans love to hear how their “gimmicky” offense put up 68 on UNC but everybody is figuring out their offense. Only two ACC teams held GT to under 30pts (VT and FSU), but you’re right, teams are figuring out the “gimmicky” offense.

The 2012 Tar Heels began the season without any of the players which caused post-season sanctions. Try started the season with Coastal Division Championship as one of their possible and realistic goals. After progressing half the way towards that goal, the ACC met and decided, “no, no, they cannot be Coastal Champs either!” Absent that decision, the UNC Tar Heels were the 2012 Coastal Division champs, something the idiot author does my understand or just refuses to mention. Through no fault father own, the team was unable to be officially recognized for their on-field accomplishment of one of the only preseason goals available to them. The tie-breakers went to the Heels – so it was not a tie in terms of Coastal Division standings. Cry me a river. Get reporters that have a brain or just be honest when you copy and paste talking points from the ABC crowd.

Let me get this right. I write a column picking UNC to win the Coastal Division this season and you post a comment telling me to “get a brain” and accusing me of “copying and pasting talking points from the ABC crowd?” Seriously? Dude, your autocorrect isn’t the only thing that has a problem.

So let me get this straight, you use a column about pre-season football predictions to rouse the same dead horse that has died a million deaths, for infractions occurring under a different set of leaders. You use the same myopic viewpoint that every single ABC message board poster uses to make it seem ridiculous that the current football staff rewarded the hard work and achievement of their new team. But I have a problem, while your agenda goes unquestioned?

Do you mention the WolPfack’s inability to win a major sport championship of any kind in 20 years every time you write a column about hem? Maybe I missed it, but be sure to mention their parade for finishing 4th.

I guess you’re right though, I do have a problem. Because I’m tired of every so-called journalist using whichever platform at their disposal to incessantly parrot garbage, regardless of relevance to the topic or fairness to the subject.

My bro bookmarked this web page for me and I have been going through it for the past several hours. This is really going to assist me and my classmates for our class project. By the way, I like the way you write.

I’m very happy to discover this web site. I wanted to thank you for ones time for this fantastic read!! I definitely liked every little bit of it and i also have you bookmarked to look at new stuff in your web site.

That i don’t possess so that you can where by stockings with one of these! Our foot keep on being very toasty. I have forever got wow gold http://www.wowruler.com for Couple of years right now plus they’re terrific. Worthy of funds.